Well, my sixth grade Tech Club kids have been at it again! This time to promote the middle school Student Assistance Program known as the HEART (Helping Educate At-Risk Teens) Team. That’s right! When some teachers approached us to create a video promoting our student assistance program, of course, these digital wizards once again rose to the challenge.

Our latest adventure began with developing a story line, which included the purchase of an actual heart costume. Yep, you read that line correctly! This very creative—not to mention humorous—addition to the video was the brainstorm of Travis (a.k.a. Mr. T) who insisted that our project wouldn’t be complete without this prop. I must say—he was absolutely right! See for yourself by checking out our latest masterpiece shown below.

I bet you’ll never guess who played the starring role of the heart? ♥

BTW—In addition to writing the script, this group of students directed and produced the video which involved choosing the location for all of the scenes, taking pictures, creating text slides and selecting the music.

Don’t you have the feeling that the HEART Team is here for you!

Classroom Connection:

I have previously mentioned the educational value of providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge through digital storytelling, but I’ll say it again…

Not only can teachers create digital stories to introduce, teach and/or review concepts, but this strategy can be used for a variety of project-based assessments. More importantly, students have the chance to imagine, plan, design, compose and invent—skills all crucial to 21st Century learning!

And the best part for me as an educator? Witnessing the pride the students have when sharing a really neat finished project they can truly call their own—especially when they are invited to share them at school board meetings (which they did last week!).

I hope… Our school is always safe… Violence is never the answer… People find better ways to handle anger or sadness… It becomes harder for bad guys to get guns… Kids never get hurt again… Those with mental illnesses get the help they need… Students are never afraid to go to school.

These are just a few of the messages students at the Bellwood-Antis Middle School wrote as part of our participation in the Hands of Hope for Sandy Hook project sponsored by UClass.org, a lesson exchange for K-12 classrooms. For those of you who missed my initial post, this lesson—authored by Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old lost his life at the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting—was developed to encourage American children to think critically about responding to tragedies like Newtown and to work to prevent them from happening in the future.

Starting on November 14th, schools across the country were asked to have students trace their hands and inscribe them with sentences beginning with, “I hope…”. Participating schools were also urged to display these hands as a symbol of hope in their classrooms, hallways, and auditoriums. As you can see in the photo shown above, we did just that at BAMS. Of course, my sixth grade Tech Club students were thrilled to be the face of our school’s participation in this project!

Student hands were posted on UClass.org and then assembled into the super cool digital collage shown below. What a powerful statement of hope and unity!

Kudos to everyone involved in creating such a meaningful project for students across our country! And a special shout out to Leah Schrader for sharing this awesome lesson with me!

Makers… Developers… Innovators… Rock stars of the 21st Century! That’s exactly what educators throughout the world began to create when they provided students with the opportunity to learn coding during Computer Science Education Week.

Yep, over 20 million students participated in the Hour of Code initiative sponsored by Code.org, including fifth-eighth graders from the Bellwood-Antis Middle School! Besides experimenting with the Angry Birds Maze puzzle, students also created fantastic animated holiday greetings using basic JavaScript on the LearnStreet site.

Of all of the Christmas activities I shared with my students over the last few weeks, the card was definitely the biggest hit—even over the hugely popular Run Santa Run game! In fact, whenever there was a free moment, students continually visited this site despite the fact that they already created, sent and printed at least one card! After the first time, the challenge became who could generate the best flickering tree lights and train cars. At one point I heard some of my Tech Club students debating which one of them could “write the coolest code” which from this educator’s point of view was completely awesome! Hopefully this is the beginning of their excitement, curiosity and willingness to learn some of the most important “real world” skills I can teach them.

Check out some scenes below of my students participating in various coding activities.

Classroom Connection:

As I’ve mentioned before—the founders of Google, Microsoft and Facebook all started their journeys with just one line of code. Like these successful entrepreneurs, our students should have the opportunity to create the technology of the future, not just use it!

That said, as you continue to enjoy your holiday vacation, maybe you can take some time to experiment with some basic (or advanced) coding resources, apps and/or programs so you can start the new year with more computer science skills than ever! Then just think—you can pass that knowledge along to your students! Who knows… You just might have the next Steve Jobs sitting in your classroom!

Did you know that computer science is a top paying college degree and computer programming jobs are growing at two times the national average? Yep, it has been projected that by the year 2020 there will 1,000,000 more jobs than there are students to fill them!

And that’s because although we live in a world surrounded by technology, only a small fraction of us learn computer science, the basics of how computers work, or how to create software, apps or web sites. Computer Science provides a foundation for virtually any career and everybody can benefit from learning the basics.

So, as an educator, what can you do to help address this issue? For starters, you can join the Hour of Code—an initiative supported by Code.org that encourages schools and teachers across the world to help introduce students of all ages to computer programming during Computer Science Education Week, December 9-15, 2013.

Classroom Connection:

The founders of Google, Microsoft and Facebook all started their journeys with just one line of code. Like these successful entrepreneurs, our students should have the opportunity to create the technology of the future, not just use it! That said, join over five million students in 33,000 classrooms across 167 countries as they venture into the language of coding by participating in the Hour of Code.

Not only does coding help students learn problem solving and creative thinking skills, it teaches them to be risk-takers, persistent and to persevere in the face of frustration—skills that are relevant in all sorts of other activities in both school and the “real world”.

And by the way—I realize that coding sounds intimidating to some, but the activities on the Code.org site require no computer programming skills at all. If your students can type, they can code! And you can learn, too!

As part of their efforts to reduce gun violence, Gabby Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman wounded in the 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, AZ, and Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old lost his life at the Sandy Hook shooting, have authored the “Hands of Hope for Sandy Hook” lesson for American children to think critically about responding to tragedies like Newtown and working to prevent them from happening in the future.

Nearly a year has passed since 20 children and six educators lost their lives in the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting.

Starting on November 14th, the lesson will link school across the country by having students trace their hands and inscribe them with sentences beginning with, “I hope…” Student hands will be posted on UClass.org, a lesson exchange for K-12 classrooms, and will be assembled into a digital collage for the world to see on December 14th, the anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy. Participating schools are being asked to display these hands as a symbol of hope in their classrooms, hallways, and auditoriums.

Bullis Charter School in Los Altos, CA, whose own Jessica Lura is co-authoring the lesson with Giffords and Hockley, is the flagship school for this lesson.

“Stopping gun violence takes courage and new ideas,” said Giffords. “We are proud to bring students together to honor the lives lost in the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, and encourage them to envision an America that is both free and safe.”

“Nearly one year after my six-year old son Dylan and nineteen of his classmates lost their lives, it is important for students not only to remember the tragedy that occurred in Newtown that day, but also to express their hopes for safer schools and communities,” said Hockley, founding member of Sandy Hook Promise. “Our students deserve to learn and grow in an environment free of the threats that many American children sadly face.”

This lesson is in keeping with the mission of Sandy Hook Promise: to ensure this tragedy does not stand as just another in our country’s history, but instead be remembered as the start of a new day, a transformation.

School leaders and/or teachers who are interested in getting their classrooms involved in the “Hands of Hope for Sandy Hook” lesson can visit uclass.org/handsofhope.

Classroom Connection:

Use the five-step Common Core State Standards-based Hands of Hope lesson plan to engage students in reading and writing activities related to the tragedies that occurred in Connecticut and Arizona as well as the prevention of violence in our schools and communities.

Participating classrooms/schools also have the opportunity to be part of a nationwide digital collage on December 14, the one year anniversary of the tragedy in Newtown.

Most importantly, besides playing an active role role in promoting the message of hope for a safer and violent-free America, this lesson provides teachers with the chance to build positive character traits such as empathy, understanding and tolerance—attributes all citizens of this world could really use!

Looking for a visual way to document all of the learning that takes place in your classroom, school or life? Then be sure to check out the #edugood 365 Photo Project, a venture that challenges teachers and/or students to spend time photographing and sharing all of the positive happenings in their life. Once pictures are taken of students engaged in lessons, activities and events, they can be uploaded to a web-based photo calendar (i.e. ShutterCal) that can be viewed by others.

Still not convinced this project is for you? Then be sure to click on the BAMS ShutterCal shown below. As you will see, being able to take a cumulative look at the all of the #edugood stuff that takes place on a daily basis is pretty cool!

So, if you haven’t joined the #edugood 365 Photo Project—it’s not too late! Trust me, it’s time well spent!

Oh, and did I mention that there’s an app for that? Yep, if you like the whole ShutterCal concept, then be sure to check out the iOS app here! Students really dig it!

Looking for a great way to kick off the new school year? Then consider joining the the #edugood 365 Photo Project.
Not only is it a fun way to get things started, but it’s an activity that can be sustained throughout the entire year!

Not sure what I’m talking about? Then here’s the scoop! The #edugood 365 Photo Project is a venture that challenges teachers and/or students to spend a year photographing and sharing all of the positive happenings in their school, classroom and/or life. Once pictures are taken of students engaged in lessons, activities and events, they can be uploaded to a web-based photo calendar (i.e. ShutterCal) that can be viewed by others.

My students and I participated in this project last year, and we loved it! I personally think it’s t’s pretty neat having the chance to check out the happenings in my classroom (and life) throughout via a visual timeline—Tech Club activities, student projects, professional development sessions with my BFFs and of course, fun times with the family and my favorite furballs. Edugood? Nope—more like edu-totally-awesome!

Sure, committing to set aside time on a daily basis to take a meaningful photo and then upload it to my ShutterCal has added another item to my ever-growing to-do list. However, the advantages of documenting my students in action far outweigh any drawbacks that I could possibly encounter. Plus, I have found that I really enjoy trying to find a way to photograph something cool about my day, every day. It’s amazing the good that can be found when the search is for the positive as opposed to dwelling on the negative and/or a circumstance that is beyond one’s control. Just saying!

So, if you haven’t joined the #edugood 365 Photo Project—it’s not too late! Trust me, it’s time well spent! In the meantime, check out all the edugoodness at BAMS!

Classroom Connection:

Besides the awe-factor associated with being able to take a cumulative look at the learning that takes place in your school environment, there are a number of educational benefits associated with creating a project like this for your classroom and/or with your students. Check them out by visiting my Join the #edugood 365 Photo Project post.

A huge shout out to Krissy Venosdale for creating this worthwhile project and sharing it with other educators. Check out her Venspired blog for more info and ideas!

So, what do you get when you combine cool apps, awesome web tools, an unforgettable field trip and two tech savvy middle schoolers ? A terrific mash-up highlighting one of the most favorite BAMS activities of all time—the Camp Blue Diamond adventure—created by students for students.

That’s right! Every spring our sixth grade students journey to Petersburg, PA for a three day two night once-in-a-lifetime environmental educational  experience that allows them to get up close and personal with the great outdoors through a series of fun and motivating lessons, activities, projects and guest speakers. From learning about birds of prey to canoeing and geocaching to dissecting owl pellets and building bluebird houses, this trip is is truly a memorable one!

And that’s why each year my Tech Club students create a digital keepsake highlighting the annual event—only this time around we added a few new cool tools to the mix. In conjunction with utilizing Animoto to produce a snazzy video, we also created an interactive image using two additional edtech gems—Thinglink and the InstaPlace app—to create a multimedia mash-up masterpiece!

Check out the results below! Be sure to hover over the image to view the hotspots!

Awesome job, Aubree and Riley! Your mash-up is the bomb diggity!

Classroom Connection:

OK, so we all know how vital it is for our students to possess digital literacy skills—or at least I hope that’s the case! Well, in the event that you missed the memo, digital literacy is more than simply knowing how to use digital tools. It is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate, and analyze information using digital technology. Being literate in the 21st Century is also about knowing what info to share, who to share it with and how to do so in a safe and secure manner.

That said, providing opportunities for students to create mash-ups—to organize, to collaborate, to produce, to think, to share, to demonstrate skills using a variety of tools—not only addresses essential digital literacy competencies, but these kinds of activities allow students to acquire and/or hone 21st Century skills as well. Plus, it’s alot of fun!

So, what are you waiting for? Dig into that tech box and find a few of your favorite tools to mash together!

For more information about integrating Thinglink and/or the InstaPlace app into classroom activities, check out my Educate with Thinglink and Create Virtual Postcards with InstaPlace posts.

OK, so anyone who regularly reads this blog probably realizes by now that I love me some Thinglink… Yeah, it’s like the “boss” of educational web tools!

That said, with the BAHS senior class motto being “Like a Boss”, I thought it would only be fitting to utilize Thinglink to highlight and share the Senior Tribute video my Multimedia II seniors produced as a final farewell for their classmates.

So, after showcasing their video at the annual Senior Breakfast celebrating the last day of high school, my students distributed handouts that included information regarding how to access the video for future reference. Of course, the link provided will direct them to the image embedded below. The project will also be used to add some eye candy to the District web page as well.

Simple—yet effective! And a huge success! Go ahead and see for yourself… Just be sure to hover over the picture collage to view the video hotspot!

Congrats and good luck to the Bellwood-Antis High School Class of 2013—especially my nephew, Haden! You are definitely “Like a Boss”!

Classroom Connection:

Well, I’ve already confessed to being a total Thinglink geeky girl! And that’s because the ways in which teachers can use this “cool tool” in the classroom are numerous. As previously mentioned, you can read all about my tech crush by visiting my Educate with Thinglink post containing a variety of integration strategies. You can even dial up a ton of additional ideas located within the following resources: Interesting Ways to Use Thinglink in the Classroom created by Donna Baumbach (Aunty Tech) and the Thinglink Toolkit developed by Susan Oxnevad.

Thinglink and the Thinglink app are must-have resources for your teacher tech-box! Add them to yours sooner than later!

Don’t let the title scare you—there’s really no death or destruction involved!

Instead it’s just my Tech Club kids working their digital magic to demonstrate student generated digital storytelling at its best!

Yep! My fifth and sixth graders joined forces to create a very cool video about one of the latest crazes to hit our school: Kendama! Combine that and the iMovie app, and what do you have? A killer video—one created solely by 10-11 year olds!

That’s right! This group students did it all—wrote the script, recorded and edited the video clips, selected themes and transitions, added text, music and credits and even sharing it on our morning announcements new program—without anything from me, except lot of encouragement!

Check out their latest stroke of genuis—or at least we think so!

Is that a masterpiece or what?

Classroom Connection:

I have previously mentioned the educational value of providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge through digital storytelling, but I’ll say it again…

Not only can teachers create digital stories to introduce, teach and/or review concepts, but this strategy can be used for a variety of project-based assessments. More importantly, students have the chance to imagine, plan, design, compose and invent—skills all crucial to 21st Century learning!

The possibilities associated with digital storytelling are truly endless as are the web tools and apps available for use. So, what are you waiting for! Assign a topic, and turn your students loose. I guarantee that you will be amazed with the end product as well as the collaboration and authentic learning that takes place in your classroom—regardless of the content area or age level!

And the best part? Witnessing the pride the students have when sharing a really neat finished project they can truly call their own.